1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a contact mount strip as well as to a process for severing a contact held on the strip. More particularly, it finds application in the automation of a process for mounting these contacts in a connector which has receptacles for accomodating each a contact, a socket or a pin. The contacts inserted in this kind of connector are sometimes miniature-sized and fragile. A strip according to the invention allows easy transportation of the contacts mounted on the strip, as well as safe mounting of contacts, particularly when the latter are miniature-sized.
2. Description of Prior Developments
In prior art, from document U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,616 the existence of bandoliers is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,616. These bandoliers (preferably shaped rather than cut out) are designed to support and. transport contacts in a typically coiled strip. In this manner, on the one hand, contacts are delivered more easily, without interlocking, and on the other hand, the introduction of contacts in connector receptacles may be more effectively automated, thanks to the provision of a standard spacing therebetween. These bandoliers are particularly designed for displacing miniature contacts. A bandolier has contacts in the same parallel arrangement as required for insertion in a connector. To this end, a connector receiving this type of contacts has several paralleled receptacles. This bandolier, which is provided in coiled form, is less space-requiring during transportation. Thanks to this bandolier, miniature contacts may be massively transported from a manufacturing site to an operating site. During transportation, the contacts mounted on the bandolier are protected from impacts and maintained intact, which cannot be ensured when bulk contacts are transported.
Prior art miniature contacts, which are to be mounted in connector receptacles, typically have a generally cylindrical shape. The receptacles for receiving these contacts also have a cylindrical shape. A diameter of a receptacle is such that it can only receive a single contact. However, a diameter of a receptacle is slightly greater than a diameter of a contact. Hence, a contact inserted in its receptacle slightly floats therein. Therefore, in order that the contact might be retained in its receptacle in prior art, a retaining member is used around the contact. This retaining member is, as known, a retaining clip. The retaining clip has jaws spaced apart slantwise with respect to the contact, and these jaws may be temporarily snapped against the contact, to be restored in their spaced apart condition when the snapping stress stops. The retaining clip is mounted around the contact before insertion of the contact in its receptacle. Then, the ends of the jaws of the retaining clip interact with a release in the inner walls of the receptacle.
Additionally, in the prior art, contact bandoliers are known, i.e. coiled strips which only have retaining clips. In the mounting step, the retaining clips are severed from the coiled strips, to be mounted on the contacts. Further, the contacts so equipped, each surrounded by a retaining clip, are inserted in connector receptacles.
In the prior art, positioning a contact inside a connector receptacle involves a problem. Such positioning is not immediate and requires a number of operations, particularly providing contacts with retaining clips or previously positioning such retaining clips in the receptacles before positioning contacts. Further, in order to mount such a contact, two kinds of intermediate bulky elements are needed, on the one hand a bandolier for contact support and on the other hand a strip of retaining clips. A further drawback of the prior art consists in that this process for positioning a contact inside a connector generates two waste types: empty bandoliers, whose contacts have been severed and empty strips, whose retaining clips have been removed. Also, these two intermediate objects are two separate elements to be supplied and stocked in equal amounts at the connector assembly site. Errors might occur if different contact formats and retaining clip formats are available.
The invention has the object to solve the above problems by providing a single strip which has, on the one hand a first means for holding a contact on said strip, and on the other hand a second means for also holding the contact on said strip and simultaneously forming a retaining clip around the contact. The first means has the main function, like in prior art, to hold the contact on the strip when the strip is transported. The second means surrounds the contact and forms a clip which acts as a retaining member. In the invention, the second means, said clip, may be severed from the strip. When the clip is severed from the strip, the contact remains inside the second means, whereby it is still fitted with the clip. The clip, formed by the second means around the contact acts as a contact retaining member, when the contact is inserted in a connector receptacle. Then, the clip wrapped around the contact interacts with the inner walls of the receptacle. Preferably, the clip is severed after transportation of the bandolier, upon insertion of the contact in its receptacle.
Therefore, the solution provided by the invention is such that a single strip is provided, also able to be coiled, that the contact is mounted in the first means and in the second means simultaneously and that mounting of the contact, fitted with its clip, in a connector receptacle may be automated. Further, a single strip is provided, which forms the only waste resulting from mounting of contacts in connector receptacles. Additionally, no inventory error may occur.
Then, the invention relates to a contact mount strip, including a first device for temporarily holding a contact, and a contact supported in such first device, characterized in that it includes a second retaining device which forms a retaining clip around a section of the contact.
The invention also relates to a process for severing a contact held in a clip of such a strip, characterized in that it includes the following steps:
pivoting the contact about a perforated part, while pushing it through a cutout of the strip beyond a plane formed by said strip;
thereby removing the contact from the first device for temporarily holding it by a rotary force;
bending the perforated part through a sufficiently narrow angle to rupture the perforated part;
disengaging the contact and the clip surrounding the contact from the cutout by a translational motion perpendicular to the plane of the strip.